Overview
- At UFC 324 in Las Vegas on January 24, Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision to secure a second interim lightweight title.
- Pimblett was cut and swollen and was sent for immediate medical evaluation, prompting calls from peers such as Arman Tsarukyan for a lengthy layoff, though Pimblett later said he had no injuries.
- Rafael Fiziev questioned Gaethje’s conditioning and suggested a neck mark resembled staph, while Gaethje said his forward, low-kick-averse approach was a deliberate plan to negate Pimblett’s volume and takedowns.
- Coach Trevor Wittman scolded Pimblett’s pre-fight trash talk in backstage footage as Gaethje and his team reflected on the bout and its buildup.
- UFC 324 was the promotion’s Paramount+ debut, with a report citing 7.18 million households tuning in, and Gaethje revealed he consulted ChatGPT for fight-day cold-tub and nap guidance as attention shifts to a Topuria unification.